New E53 3.0d owner - some questions

[Bargain Bucket]

Hi folks,

Having never owned a BMW before, I finally got around to it and bought a very, very late 2004 3.0d. On the whole, I'm loving it but there are a few niggles to resolve.

1. No fluid coming out of the rear wash. Pumps runs fine but no fluid. After much faffing, I hooked up the air compressor to the tube coming from the pump and blew a considerable amount of black crap out. It now works wonderfully but you can hear it sucking back air after the pump is shut off. I guess this is what pulled in the black crap. I'll fit a one way valve to prevent this.

2. Couldn't get the bluetooth pairing to initiate. After much surfing, a user on this forum had the solution. The connector on the pairing button in the centre console had become disconnected. Now solved. Hurrah.

3. Sound only out of speakers on the right hand side of the car. Looks like a failure of the BM54 unit (I sound like HAL). Any recomendations as to who can fix this? I've removed it and it's ready to send off.

4. The lower tailgate and boot lights don't work (bulbs are fine). There is no notification on the dash when driving with the upper tailgate open (testing purposes only). Research shows that there is no tailgate "pin" switch. It is alll driven from the state of the upper tailgate latch. I'd like to test it before replacing. Does anyone know which wires on the connector are for the "open/closed" signal?

5. Battery has just died. It appears to be the original so it's done OK. Any recomendations for a replacement? The OEM "AGM" type is mega expensive. Is it really worth it?

6. When driving at night, the centre upper vent is not illumated. Should it be?

7. The interior door handles are not illuminated. Should they be? I see refernce to this but are all models equipped with this feature? If not, are the door panels pre-wired for this (i.e. can I just fit the bulbs)?

Many thanks in advance. I'm pretty handy with the mechanical and electrical side of cars so hope to be able to contribute more than I ask over time.

Cheers.
BB

[AW8]

1. I'd check nozzle, routing & filter under thre pump in bottom of bottle. If removing later go easy as the internal float can become dislodged & throw a false low fluid message.

2. Solved.

3. I used sound-secure in rochdale but for exchange not repair. Website appears down at moment and ebay listing 180761090130 indicates aqway until 7/12/11
MOHAMAD ALI
8 MOSS MILL STREET
ROCHDALE
Lancashire
OL16 5JX
United Kingdom Phone: 0750 1312152
Email: ali-gb@live.com

Cartronics in Surrey do repairs too but a little dearer when I called. their website.

Cartronics
22 High Road, BYFLEET, SURREY, KT14 7QG
T: +44 (0)1932 354350

4.Wiring knowedge not a strongpoint.......don't know sorry.

5.Bosh Silver check you get right one. Camberley autofactors sell them for sensible money with a haggle. Remember to plug the unused drain/vent hole with the plug moulded into the terminal cover.

6. No

7. Yes on mine - thought all had same.... very small red bulbs in recesses.

Good you are handy - No doubt I/we will be picking your brain too.

We also have an into/newbie section if feeling so inclined to post there later............Welcome aboard anyway

[5wany]

Welcome,

& some pics please.

On item 7, I think they should be illuminated by small led's, if the door panels been of they are easily broken / forgotten about when putting door card back on.

[Bargain Bucket]

Thanks for the answers guys.

1. Sorry - I didn't really make myself very clear. It is solved. I first checked the filters of all 3 washer lines in the resevoir (all clogged but not totally blocked. Cleaned them). I then separated the rear washer pipe under the resevoir and it squirted a good few feet with the pump. Then checked the nozzle (clear). So finally I attached the air compressor to the pipe where it was separated under the resevoir and blew a load of crap out of the tailgate end of the line. All works nicely now but I noted a sucking noise at the tailgate end of the pipe. I guess that's how the pipe got blocked - it sucked crap back in. So I'm going to a fit a one way valve in the break under the resevoir to prevent suck back.

[AW8]

That makes more sense

[X5Sport]

I thought that there was a one-way/non-return valve already used?

Item 3 here:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=61&fg=45

I certainly had this and the nozzled replaced on my Dec04 built 3.0d after they gunged up. Interestingly, this was partly caused by an issue with the washer fluid allowing some form of white bacterial growth in the line, and shortly after I had switched from a cheap and cheeful type to a concentate. I switched fluids to the BMW one and never had the problem again.

[Bargain Bucket]

I'm guessing that the one-way valve might have failed. There was a definite sucking noise from the nozzle once the pump had stopped pumping. It wasn't immediately apparent how to get to the gubbins in the tailgate spoiler. I'll look again but probably just put a valve in at the bottle end. Interesting about the bacterial growth. The bottle only had water in it so I suppose if the rear wash hadn't been used in months then the water in the pipe could have started a new life form

Cheers.
BB

[Bargain Bucket]

Well I'll be.........there are indeed little orange LEDs glowing in all the interior door handles. But they are so dim, you really can't see them unless you look very, very hard. Not at all effective.

[Mrgee]

Welcome Bargain Bucket

The LED's on the front in mine are a lot dimer than the backs, as you can see the handles in the back in the dark, but not in the front, Wonder how easy it is to change to a brighter LED?

[storminmike]

[quote=""Mrgee""]Welcome Bargain Bucket

The LED's on the front in mine are a lot dimer than the backs, as you can see the handles in the back in the dark, but not in the front, Wonder how easy it is to change to a brighter LED?[/quote]


without going too OT....a 1 series...a sporty one in the car park had BLUE LED lights on the exterior handles (the cover bits next to the handles) when he ulocked it. Very christmassy is that normal